Why am I passionate about this?

When I first became a mom, I searched for an evidence-based, practical, whole-picture, supportive book to guide us through our baby’s first year – and couldn’t find it. I have a doctorate degree in biology and specialize in ecology, a discipline that studies how living things relate to one another and interact with their environment. Most of my research focuses on what young animals need to thrive. So I decided to write the book I had been searching for by applying my research training, my perspective as an ecologist, and my experience as a parent of three children.


I wrote

Baby Ecology: Using Science and Intuition to Create the Best Feeding, Sleep, and Play Environment for Your Unique Baby

By Anya Dunham,

Book cover of Baby Ecology: Using Science and Intuition to Create the Best Feeding, Sleep, and Play Environment for Your Unique Baby

What is my book about?

I carefully examined 800 scientific papers on baby feeding, sleep, and care through the lens of my research field, ecology,…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The books I picked & why

Book cover of Child of Mine: Feeding with Love and Good Sense

Anya Dunham Why did I love this book?

Thanks to the ideas in this book, all three of my babies, including one born with feeding challenges, have grown into capable and adventurous eaters. Child of Mine offers a wealth of evidence-based information on what to feed your baby and why, but the true gem is the how. The main principle, the Division of Responsibility, is simple yet powerful; it helps babies enjoy food, takes worries and struggles out of mealtimes, and brings joy (back) to the dinner table.

By Ellyn Satter,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Child of Mine as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Widely considered the leading book involving nutrition and feeding infants and children, this revised edition offers practical advice that takes into account the most recent research into such topics as: emotional, cultural, and genetic aspects of eating; proper diet during pregnancy; breast-feeding versus; bottle-feeding; introducing solid food to an infant's diet; feeding the preschooler; and avoiding mealtime battles. An appendix looks at a wide range of disorders including allergies, asthma, and hyperactivity, and how to teach a child who is reluctant to eat. The author also discusses the benefits and drawbacks of giving young children vitamins.


Book cover of The Science of Mom: A Research-Based Guide to Your Baby's First Year

Anya Dunham Why did I love this book?

The Science of Mom explores the research behind nine important – and controversial – parenting topics, like vaccine safety, breastfeeding, and sleep training. I liked that Dr. Callahan covered each question very thoroughly, helped the readers understand the advantages and limitations of science, and kept her writing personal and warm. You will appreciate this book if you’re looking for an in-depth understanding of the latest research (the 2nd edition was released in November 2021) and would like the tools for interpreting future scientific studies on these topics.

By Alice Callahan,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Science of Mom as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Now updated! The new edition of this best-selling guide uses science to tackle some of the most important decisions facing new parents-from sleep training and vaccinations to breastfeeding and baby food.

Is cosleeping safe? How important is breastfeeding? Are food allergies preventable? Should we be worried about the aluminum in vaccines? Searching for answers to these tough parenting questions can yield a deluge of conflicting advice. In this revised and expanded edition of The Science of Mom, Alice Callahan, a science writer whose work appears in the New York Times and the Washington Post, recognizes that families must make their…


Book cover of The Bottom Line for Baby: From Sleep Training to Screens, Thumb Sucking to Tummy Time--What the Science Says

Anya Dunham Why did I love this book?

This book is like a mini-encyclopedia of 67 common, everyday parenting questions: Are cloth diapers better than disposables? Is BPA in baby bottles a concern? Should we choose daycare or a nanny? The questions are arranged alphabetically; each begins with a statement of two competing positions, a concise “What the science says” section, a bottom-line conclusion, and sometimes a personal story. What I liked most is how Dr. Bryson infused her writing with the true bottom line: it all comes back to your relationship with your baby. Because of this book’s unique format, I found it was best read as a reference, or in bite sizes, rather than cover-to-cover.

By Tina Payne Bryson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Bottom Line for Baby as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'An essential guide to making all your important parenting decisions' - Daniel J. Siegel, MD, New York Times bestselling co-author of The Whole-Brain Child

Apply the best science to all your parenting decisions with this essential A-Z guide for your biggest questions and concerns from the New York Times bestselling co-author of The Whole-Brain Child and No-Drama Discipline.

Every baby- and toddler-care decision sends parents scrambling to do the right thing, and often down into the rabbit hole of conflicting advice. Dr Tina Payne Bryson has sifted through the reliable research (including about all those old wives' tales) and will…


Book cover of The Scientist in the Crib: What Early Learning Tells Us about the Mind

Anya Dunham Why did I love this book?

I have always been fascinated, and read a lot about, how much babies learn during their first year, but this book still captivated and surprised me. It reads like a journey into a baby’s world. The authors’ perspective helped me notice and appreciate even more the seemingly small but clever things my babies did every day and, ultimately, see them as competent little people and trust their learning process. The Scientist in the Crib won’t give you any specific how-tos, but if you wish you knew what your baby is thinking, this book is for you.

By Alison Gopnik, Patricia K. Kuhl, Andrew N. Meltzoff

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked The Scientist in the Crib as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This exciting book by three pioneers in the new field of cognitive science discusses important discoveries about how much babies and young children know and learn, and how much parents naturally teach them. It argues that evolution designed us both to teach and learn, and that the drive to learn is our most important instinct. It also reveals as fascinating insights about our adult capacities and how even young children -- as well as adults -- use some of the same methods that allow scientists to learn so much about the world. Filled with surprise at every turn, this vivid,…


Book cover of NurtureShock: New Thinking about Children

Anya Dunham Why did I love this book?

This awesome book covers not only raising a baby, but parenting in general. Each of its 10 chapters upends traditional thinking on a parenting topic, like “how to boost baby’s language skills” and “why siblings fight”. It is so engaging that, despite being a bleary-eyed mom of a newborn, I read it in two days!

By Po Bronson, Ashley Merryman,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked NurtureShock as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

One of the most influential books about children ever published, Nurture Shock offers a revolutionary new perspective on children that upends a library's worth of conventional wisdom. With impeccable storytelling and razor-sharp analysis, the authors demonstrate that many of modern society's strategies for nurturing children are in fact backfiring--because key twists in the science have been overlooked. Nothing like a parenting manual, NurtureShock gets to the core of how we grow, learn and live.

Released in hardcover in September 2009, Nurture Shock remained on the New York Times best seller list for three months, and was one of Amazon's best…


Explore my book 😀

Baby Ecology: Using Science and Intuition to Create the Best Feeding, Sleep, and Play Environment for Your Unique Baby

By Anya Dunham,

Book cover of Baby Ecology: Using Science and Intuition to Create the Best Feeding, Sleep, and Play Environment for Your Unique Baby

What is my book about?

I carefully examined 800 scientific papers on baby feeding, sleep, and care through the lens of my research field, ecology, to find out: What do human babies really, truly need? And how can we proactively create spaces and experiences for them to thrive instead of using techniques to solve ‘problems’ later on? I discovered 10 biology-based, interconnected building blocks of the environment that nurtures every baby’s unfolding abilities; they are easy to put in place, yet often missing. Baby Ecology will show you what these building blocks are and how to create them for your unique family, so your baby has the support and freedom to sleep well, explore happily, grow into an adventurous eater, and reach their full potential.

You might also like...

All They Need to Know

By Eileen Goudge,

Book cover of All They Need to Know

Eileen Goudge Author Of All They Need to Know

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Baker

Eileen's 3 favorite reads in 2023

What is my book about?

On the run from her abusive husband, Kyra Smith hits the road. Destination unknown. With a dog she rescued in tow, she lands in the peaceful California mountain town of Gold Creek and is immediately befriended by an openhearted group of women who call themselves the Tattooed Ladies. They’re there for Kyra—and for each other.

The maternal Frannie is a tattoo artist struggling with a troubled daughter. Suzy is a self-described fashionista grandma bearing a painful estrangement from her son. Then there’s Jo, whose storybook marriage is shadowed by a grim medical diagnosis. And bookstore owner Marisol. She longs for…

All They Need to Know

By Eileen Goudge,

What is this book about?

A woman escaping a violent past finds new friendships, romance, and tenuous sanctuary in an emotionally gripping novel by New York Times bestselling author Eileen Goudge.

On the run from her abusive husband, Kyra Smith hits the road. Destination unknown. With a neglected dog she rescued in tow, she lands in the peaceful California town of Gold Creek and is immediately befriended by an openhearted group of women called the Tattooed Ladies Club. They're there for Kyra-and for each other.

The maternal Frannie is a tattoo artist struggling with a troubled daughter. Suzy is a self-described fashionista grandma bearing a…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in parenting, health, and infants?

Parenting 369 books
Health 119 books
Infants 40 books